Jonah showed none of the commonly feared behavior of his breed. He never growled or barked. He romped unleashed and unmuzzled with other dogs and around people of all ages at the park.

“He is the sweetest dog in the world,” Croff said. “He plays with the kids, too.”

A bill in the state Legislature would make sure Jonah won’t be singled out because of pit bulls’ bad reputations. It would forbid any municipality from adopting breed-specific dog ordinances.

Towns and cities would not be able to ban specific breeds such as pit bulls, German shepherds or Rottweilers. Nor could they require their owners to do things such as buy liability insurance or keep them muzzled or in enclosures unless the rule applied to all breeds.

The bill is sponsored by state Rep. Diana Urban, D-North Stonington. The House of Representatives approved the bill May 7 by a vote of 142-0. Now it will be considered by the state Senate.

Noting that an April 1 public hearing held on the bill by the Planning and Development Committee was “a love fest,” with dog lovers swapping stories about favorite pets, Urban said, “I really expect it will sail through the Senate.”

People who testified in support of the bill included representatives from the Connecticut and U.S. Humane Societies, Connecticut Votes for Animals and the Pet Industry Advisory Council.

“Dangerous dog laws should be carefully written to address the actual problems,” Willard said. “These ordinances might better be called Dangerous Dog Owner Laws, so that the behavior of the dog is the responsibility of the person who owns, trains, cares for and manages the dog.”

John Filchak of the Northeastern Connecticut Council of Governments, which operates a regional animal shelter in Killingly, testified that based on the experience of those operating the shelter, there is no link between the breed of dog and the likelihood it will be a danger.

The only person who testified against the proposal at the hearing was Ron Thomas from the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, who said the measure would unnecessarily tie the hands of municipal officials.

If approved and signed by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, the law would take effect Oct. 1.

Urban herself has a pit bull. “She’s the sweetest, gentlest dog,” she said.

“They just can’t base it on the breed,” Urban said. The dog actually has to do something that is dangerous.”

“It’s like discriminating against people. Every dog should be given a chance,” Silvi Banushi said. She brought her dog, Miley, a Labrador mix, to the dog park. “I know some great pit bulls and some great German shepherds who come here.”

Page 2 of 2 - Terri DeBarros feels differently about pit bulls. She came to the dog park with her 3-year-old granddaughter, Phaedra Diggs, and Phaedra’s Yorkie Cairn mix, Pablo.

“I guess it depends on how you bring them up,” DeBarros said. “But I wouldn’t have one around my grandchild. You never know when they may turn.”

DeBarros watched Jonah play with other dogs at the park at a safe distance. She and Jonah were in separate enclosures. “This is the first time I’ve seen one that’s very friendly,” she said.

There’s no denying that pit bulls can be and often are dangerous. In 2012, pit bulls accounted for 23 of 38 fatal dog attacks in the United States, and 22 of 31 fatal dog attacks in 2011, according to dogsbite.org. About 4.4 percent of U.S. dogs are pit bulls.

No Connecticut town bans or restricts pit bulls or other specific breeds. Wethersfield has an ordinance that requires guard or attack dogs to be kept in an enclosure, but it doesn’t name any breeds.

However, according to a 2011 study by dogsbite.org, 630 municipalities in 38 states have restrictions on specific breeds.

Several Rhode Island municipalities, including Providence and Westerly, require pit bull owners to buy at least $25,000 in liability insurance. Central Falls and Pawtucket go further and ban pit bulls, although existing owners can keep their dogs if they put them in an enclosure and have $100,000 in liability insurance.

Boston is among a number of Massachusetts municipalities that restrict pit bulls.

Urban said she proposed the bill not to change any existing restrictions but to head off actions by towns that have been considering them.

Norwich Police Chief Louis Fusaro agreed that specific breeds are not inherently dangerous. “It’s more about how the dog is trained and treated,” he said.